This invention relates to a novel compactor. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, this invention relates to a compactor that may be used to dispose of all types of refuge from a vessel or offshore platform.
Trash compactors provide a necessary function in that they disposal of trash in an economical and efficient manner. As society continues to progress, the proper environmental disposal of refuse is of prime importance to governments. Therefore, government regulations have been promulgated that mandate restrictions on the proper disposal of refuse.
As the search for oil and gas continues, exploration companies have ventured into oceans such as the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The exploration, drilling and production of minerals necessarily entails the involvement of thousand of people who essentially live on drilling and production platforms. The offshore industry personnel will produce tons of waste during these operations. This waste will have to be disposed of in an economically and environmentally responsible fashion.
Certain types of garbage must be compressed and bagged for transportation to a shore base for proper handling. Garbage such as cardboard, paper, plastic, etc. must be bagged and sent back to shore. Environmentally sensitive waste such as oil filters must be specially bagged and sent back to shore. On the other hand, garbage such as food waste may properly be disposed of by discarding over board. However, governmental regulations mandate that the average particle dimension be a certain size. Thus, it is not feasible to simply discard the garbage over board. Instead, the garbage must be ground.
The drilling and production platforms working in the sea, as well as marine vessels, are of finite room. On these of types of platforms, a premium is placed on minimizing space requirements. Thus, necessary equipment such as trash compactors must be included. Nevertheless, minimizing the space needed for the trash compactor is critical. Also, the platforms will produce their own power systems. Therefore, while electricity is available, the usage of electricity is limited due to power generation limitations. Further, electricity is explosive, and hence, electrical use is restricted on these vessels and platforms for safety reasons.
Prior art refuse compactors are available. However, the prior art compactors are bulky and do not take into consideration limited size restraints. Further, the prior art compactors require electrical current or other types of power supply that are only available in industrial and household settings. The prior art systems also do not combine a garbage disposal, environmentally sensitive trash (such as oil filters) and food grinders into a single unit. Therefore, there is a need for a compactor that will solve these and other problems in the prior art as it relates to marine and remote industrial settings.